Devi Sankaree

Based: Johannesburg

Devi Sankaree began her career in journalism at the age of 21. It was while she was completing a BA degree at the University of Natal in Durban that she landed herself a freelance job at the SABC. She quickly moved from presenting music shows and reading the news, to becoming a talk show host for national public broadcaster, Lotus FM. Devi’s daily radio chat show, which ran for seven years, was well known for its straightforward approach to tackling sensitive and controversial issues.

After completing an Honours degree in Drama and Performance Studies and a Higher Diploma in Education, Devi joined the education fraternity while still freelancing on radio. Then, a year into her teaching stint, she resigned from the Department of Education and joined the SABC as a full-time talk show host. Devi’s most memorable interview on radio was when she interviewed former President, Nelson Mandela in 1998.

Devi’s television break came in 1996 when she was hired as a freelance continuity presenter for SABC 1′s Eastern Mosaic. While keeping her radio and television career on the boil, Devi then joined the Sunday Times in 1998 as a weekly columnist. A year later she joined the Sunday Times as their Features Editor in Durban. Devi’s weekly column is now in its tenth successive year.
In January 2002, Devi joined the Carte Blanche team. Her more memorable stories have included interviews with Kenyan Nobel Laureate, Warangi Mathai, international financial guru Robert

Kiyosaki and music icon Quincy Jones. Devi’s passion for investigative stories has seen her work on many stories which went on to make headlines. These include: her investigation into corruption at the Medical University of South Africa, the health crises in the Eastern Cape, Robert Mugabe’s “Operation Murumbatsvina” campaign, baggage theft at Oliver Tambo Airport, the “racist” University of the Free State DVD and Mauritian Drug Mules. Devi’s penchant for “trouble” also saw her being assaulted while working on a story about the “Gum Tree Gang,” a band of appliance repairmen in Durban and then being locked up in a garage on the campus of the Medical University of South Africa!

Devi’s work in print was taken a step further when, in 2004, she won the prestigious British Council scholarship for creative writing. She is currently working on a novel.
After completing a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management and an MBA through the Universityof Natal, Devi initiated her own corporate communication’s company. Her main thrust is in the field of corporate training where she coaches senior managers on media strategy and interview techniques. Besides her achievements, Devi is inherently still a wife and mum to two children, both under 7.